With octa-core processors becoming standard for high-end smartphones these days, and quad-core processors being the high-end processor of the past, hexa-core processors are now debuting in recognized Android flagships. LG’s G4 unveil was the first of what will undoubtedly be a series of high-end flagships that don’t want to take risks with the overheating problems of Qualcomm’s infamous octa-core, Snapdragon 810 processor.
Smartphone giant Xiaomi has implemented the Snapdragon 810 in its Mi Note Pro, but the company is now planning to put Qualcomm’s hexa-core processor to use with a new smartphone that appeared at Geekbench yesterday. The new phone is codenamed “Libra,” and features a 1.44Ghz, hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor and 1.8GB of RAM, running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. Xiaomi has placed a quad-core processor in the Redmi 2 launched earlier this year alongside of 1GB of RAM, so we’re not looking at an entry-level smartphone here. With ~2GB of RAM and a mid-range processor, it could be the case that Xiaomi intends to create the perfect “balance” (the word libra means balance) of specs that will more than do the job.
The device posted a single-core score of 1275 and a multi-core score of 3484 on Geekbench, leading us to believe that the device is, indeed a mid-ranger. Xiaomi does intend to bring a smartphone to market for China and international markets, according to Chinese industry analyst Pan Jiutang, and this could mark the beginning of the endeavor. We’ll keep you updated on the Xiaomi Libra in the coming days and weeks.